OUAGADOUGOU — The Burkina Faso government, as part of its agropastoral and fisheries initiative, plans to distribute 18,000 tons of improved seeds to support vulnerable producers, announced Agriculture Minister Ismaël Sombié on Friday. This statement was made at the opening of the 15th seed fair in Ouagadougou.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the goal of the agropastoral and fishing offensive is to achieve food self-sufficiency and reduce dependency on imported consumer goods. He detailed that the initiative, which spans from 2023 to 2025 and is budgeted at 592 billion FCFA, targets significant increases in the production of rice and corn to meet domestic demands. The minister emphasized the crucial role of research in reaching these objectives and pledged continued collaboration with the academic sector to enhance agricultural outputs.